Thera 1.35: Samannakani
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(35):Samannakani Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =35. Sāmaññakāni= e was reborn in this Buddha-age as the son of a Wanderer,1 and converted to the religious life(path/Dhamma)when he saw the Exalted One(Buddha) perform the twin-miracle.2 And through jhāna he attained arahantship(enlightenment). Now a Wanderer named Kātiyāna, whom he had known as a layman, had lost all support from the lay people since the Buddha had arisen, and was destitute. He came to the Thera and said: 'You of the Sakiyans(clan), who have won much fame and support, live happily, but we are distressed and destitute. What should one do to compass happiness both in this life and the next?' The Thera said: 'Happiness not of the world: - this, for one who undergoes the suitable procedure to get it, and who gets it, is alone to be called unqualified happiness.' And to illustrate this by his own attainment, he uttered this verse: ---- 35 Sukhaɱ sukhattho labhate tadācaraɱ|| Kittiɱ ca pappoti yasassa vaḍḍhati|| Yo ariyamaṭṭhaŋgikamañjasaɱ ujuɱ|| Bhāveti maggaɱ amatassa pattiyā' ti.|| || ---- 35 Happiness he who seeks may win an he practise the seeking - Honour he gains beside, and growth of renown shall befall him - So he but practise the road called Straight,3 even the Ariyan, The Noble Eightfold Path by which we may reach salvation.4` ---- 1 Paribbājaka - i.e., an unattached religieux. Whether he was born before the father left the world(for monkhood), or after he had lapsed into it again (cf. Sisters, Ps. lxviii.), is not stated. 2 Cf. p. 36, n. 1. 3 'Because one has put away all bodily and other crookedness,' explains the Commentary. I seem to discern an echo of the Nikāya verse: Ujuko nāma so maggo (Saŋy., i. 14; Sisters, verse 361)- 'Straight is the name that Way is called.' The Pāli is in Gāyatrī metre (Vedic). 4 Amata. Cf. XXI. ---- 1.4-535 Commentary on the stanza of =Sāmaññakāni Thera= 5,1. The stanza starting with Sukhaṃsukhattho constututes that of the venerable Thera Sāmaññakāni. What is the origin? It is said that he, having done devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating good deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a human womb (manussa yoni) at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, ninety one aeons (kappa) ago, from now. On having seen the Blessed One Vipassī, he became pious-minded and offered (Him) a couch (mañca). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among devine and human beings and was reborn as the son of a certain wandering ascetic (paribbājaka) when this Buddha arose. His name was Sāmaññakāni. On having attained the age of intelligence, he saw the twin miracle of the Master, became pious-minded, took entry into the dispensation as a monk, got hold of mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) commensurate with his conduct, brought about jhāna, made the jhāna his basis (padaka), developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence it has been said in the Apadāna:– “With my own palms and pleasing piety, a couch was offered by me, to such a Blessed One as Vipassī, the eledest of the world. I was in receipt of (samajjhagaṃ) ele- phant transport, horse transport and divine conveyance; because of that offering of couch, I had attained Arahantship, having become free from cankers (āsava). It was ninety one aeons (kappa) ago, from now, that I then offered the couch; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of couch- offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” 5,2. A householder-associate of the Thera, however, a wandering philosopher (paribbājaka) named Kātiyāna, because of the fact that the gain and honour (sakkāra) of the heretics happened to be hard hit ever since the appearance (uppāda) of Buddha, not gaining even to the extent of food and clothing, moved himself away (apakato) from the fold of ājīvaka ascetic, approached the Thera and asked thus:– “You all, namely, sons of the Sākiyan lead happy lives because of having attained greatly foremost gain and fame; we, however, are poverty-stricken and have to lead a hard life (kiccha jīvika); how indeed, dose happiness pertaining to the present (diṭṭhadhammika) and the future as well (samparāyikañca) acrues to one who practises properly (paṭipajjamāna). Thereupon, the Thera uttered a stanza starting with “sukhaṃ sukhattho labhate tadācaraṃ.” In order to make manifest the state of his having attained that happiness saying to him thus:– “In the absence of explanation (nippariyāyato) happiness, namely, is but the transcendental happiness (lokuttarasukha); that also is of one who properly practises (paṭipajjanta) the proper practice (paṭipatti) commensurate with that happiness,” by means of instruction (pariyāyena). 35. There Sukhaṃ means; here, the significance is happiness free from sensual desires. That happiness also comprises the proper attainment of noble fruition (phalasamāpatti) and nibbāna as well. Likewise, indeed, it has been stated thus:– “This concentration (samādhi) is the happiness (sukhavipāko) as well;” “Nibbāna is the highest (paramaṃ) happiness.” Sukhatho means: the purpose (payojana) of happiness; one who desires (atthiko) such happiness as aforesaid. Labhate means he attains: this happiness is of one who desires; not of another. He said thus:– “Who, however, is he who desires?” “Tadācaraṃ” means conducting one self for that purpose; properly practising (paṭipajjanto) such proper practice (paṭipattiṃ) as is conducive towards that proper attainment; thus, is the meaning. Not wholly (kevalaṃ) does that conduct (ācara) gain but happiness; then, indeed, kittiñ ca pappoti means he attains the state of far and wide (patthaṭa) reputation (yasa) announced (kitti) in front of him (parammukhā) in such a way as begun with thus:– “In this way also he is possessed of moral precepts; his physical and verbal actions are excellently pure all round; his livelihood is excellently pure all round; he is a possessor of jhāna and devoted to jhāna (jhānayutto).” Yasa’ssa vaḍḍhate means: his fame which is reckoned as good fortune (sampadā) of having retinue (parivāra). Now, in order to show graphically (sarūpato) the meaning said ordinarily (sāmaññato) as “tadācaraṃ (that conduct),” he said thus:– “Yo arivematthaṅgikamañjasaṃ ujuṃ, bhāveti maggaṃ amatassa pattiyā.” It’s meaning is:– Yo means an individual because of being away from (ārakattā) all froms of depravity (kilesa), because of the sense of his all-round purity and also because of the sense of making the noble state (ariyabhāva) of those who practise properly (paṭipajjanta) is ariyaṃ, a noble person; because of being the quantity (samudaya) of eight such constituent parts (aṅga) that begins with right view (sammādiṭṭhi) it is eibhtfold:– aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ; in the sense of not being crooked because of being proper-practice (paṭipatti) of the middle way (majjhima) having avoided (rahita) the two extremities (antadvaya) he is straight forward añjasaṃ because of being bereft of bent body (kāyavaṅka) and so on he is ujuṃ (straight); in the sense of one’s own (niya) right path (magga) by those who desire nibbāna (nibbānatthika) and in the sense of going as he keeps killing all forms of depravity (kilesa), is the name gained as “magga” which is the proper path (paṭipadā) which leads (gāminī) towards cessation (nirodha) of misery (dukkha); amatassa means; of the uncreated (asaṅkhata) element (dhātu); pattiyā means for the attainment of (adhigama); bhāveti means he provokes (uppādeti) and developes (vaḍḍheti) in his own systen (santāna); with the absence of explanation (nippariyāyena) he said “sukhattho tadā caraṃ (one, who desires happiness then practising);” therefore, he gains happiness just as has been said. On having heard it, the wandering philosopher (paribbājaka) being pious-minded became a monk, properly practised in the right manner, developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship, but before long. This even became the exposition (or prophecy) of the Arahantship (aññā) of the Thera. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sāmaññakāni is complete. **********oOo********* ----